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Strategic Plan

West Virginia University recently completed a process of re-evaluating its overall plans for the future in light of its historic mission as a Land Grant University, the needs of the people of West Virginia, and the responsibilities the state has placed on us as its flagship institution of higher education. The School of Medicine, including representatives of each of our campuses, was an integral part of the University’s planning effort.

The adoption of the WVU 2020 Strategic Plan – and a companion plan created for the Health Sciences Center -- placed an obligation on each of the University’s schools and colleges to revisit our activities and develop a strategic plan for our own future. The faculty, staff, and students of the School of Medicine approached this task with the knowledge that our decisions today will have a great impact on the next generation of students in each of our programs, and on our ability to reverse the historic health disparities that place a serious burden on individuals and families across our state.

Our first task was to define our mission and our vision. A strong consensus developed that we need to be very clear and very direct about these statements, as they would guide all of the participants in thinking about the specifics of our plan and in making decisions about how we should allocate resources. These statements distill the essence of what we do as a school:

Mission

The West Virginia University School of Medicine improves the lives of the people of West Virginia and beyond through excellence in patient care, education, research, and service to our communities.
Vision

The West Virginia University School of Medicine, leading the way to a healthier West Virginia

These statements informed the entire process of developing this School of Medicine Strategic Plan. The process by which the mission and vision were transformed to a plan is described in this document.

An enormous number of talented people contributed a great deal of work and thought to this process. But their work will become valuable only if we are able to move from planning, to action, and then to achievement. This plan will serve as a guide to our School’s leadership and will be a yardstick by which our future actions can be measured.